Urban sprawl manifests not only as a spatial phenomenon but as a profound social fracture in the peripheries of megacities, where density and proximity fail to translate into social cohesion. In cities like Mexico City, peripheral developments often consist of compact yet poorly organized housing units, deprived of adequate infrastructure and detached from civic and cultural centers. These environments, described metaphorically as "stacked cages," reflect a commodified approach to urbanization driven by real estate speculation rather than human needs. The inhabitants, though physically close, remain socially isolated, caught in a survival mode that undermines any form of collective identity or public life. This model of expansion emphasizes quantitative growth while neglecting qualitative urban experience, revealing a deeper crisis of modern individualism where space no longer guarantees encounter or interaction. One telling illustration is the peripheral neighborhood’s absence of public squares or communal venues, reducing the city to a dormitory landscape shaped by isolation and daily commute, rather than shared memory or political presence. Such forms of development exacerbate spatial injustice and signal the urgent need for integrated, inclusive urban planning.
Gutiérrez Álvarez, F.C., 2017. Crisis de las ciudades desparramadas. In: URBS. Revista de Estudios Urbanos y Ciencias Sociales, 7(1). Universidad de Almería.
